Saturday, February 07, 2009

Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup

As if corn syrup in the USA being genetically-modified is not enough for many people to stop their consumption of sugary foods, processed foods and drinks, check out this article from the Chicago Tribune on January 27, 2009. If they found even ONE incidence of mercury out of their study, that is one incidence too many:

A swig of soda or a bite of a candy bar might be sweet, but a new study suggests that food made with corn syrup also could be delivering tiny doses of toxic mercury.For the first time, researchers say they have detected traces of the silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods. The study was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health.Eating high-mercury fish is the chief source of exposure for most people. The new study raises concerns about a previously unknown dietary source of mercury, which has been linked to learning disabilities in children and heart disease in adults.The source of the metal appears to be caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, which manufacturers of corn syrup use to help convert corn kernels into the food additive.A handful of plants across the nation still make the soda and acid by mixing a briny solution in electrified vats of mercury. Some of the toxic metal ends up in the final product, according to industry documents cited in the study.Corn syrup manufacturers insisted their products are mercury-free. But the study said at least one maker of caustic soda that has used the mercury-based technology listed the corn syrup industry as a client.The researchers cautioned that their study was limited. Only 20 samples were analyzed; mercury was detected in nine.Still, the impact of the findings could be significant. High-fructose corn syrup has become such a staple in processed foods that the average American consumes 12 teaspoons of it daily, according to federal estimates. Teenagers and children tend to eat more of it than adults.There is no established safe dose for elemental mercury, the type discovered in corn syrup. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says an average-sized woman should limit her exposure to 5.5 micrograms a day of methylmercury, the kind found in fish. If that same woman regularly ate corn syrup contaminated at the highest level detected in the study -- 0.57 micrograms per gram -- the researchers estimated that she could end up consuming an amount of mercury that is five times higher than the EPA's safe dose.A former EPA scientist who reviewed the paper said more study is needed to establish the risk, if any, posed by contaminated corn syrup."For the most part, previous studies haven't found mercury in foods other than fish," said Kathryn Mahaffey, a former EPA scientist who co-wrote a landmark report to Congress on the perils of mercury contamination.Most chlorine plants already have switched to mercury-free technology. In response to a 2005 Tribune series about mercury hazards, Barack Obama, then a U.S. senator, introduced legislation that would force others to phase out its use or shut down. A plant in Wisconsin later vowed to switch by this year, leaving four others -- in Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia -- that still use the older technology.Chlorine plants manufacture caustic soda and hydrochloric acid. In a statement, the Chlorine Institute, an industry trade group in Washington, said, "It is conceivable that measurable mercury content can be found in high-fructose corn syrup regardless of how it is processed."

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Once upon a time, a mother of two founded BABYBEARSHOP, a purely organic skincare line ‘just right’ for mothers, babies, and grown-ups alike who care about their health, the environment and having lusciously soft and healthy skin.
BABYBEARSHOP’s products are certified organic, have 100% natural ingredients, contain no artificial anything and are free of common allergens. There are no artificial colors or fragrances, no synthetic preservatives, no genetically-modified ingredients, and have absolutely no parabens. Only the safest, highest-quality organic or wild-crafted essential oils are used, and therefore all of the products are safe for children and adults, and are helpful in soothing eczema and other allergy conditions.
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